Oil Spillage: Gov. Dickson Accuses Oil Companies Of Nonchalant Attitude

Governor Seriake Dickson has lampooned International Oil Companies (IOCs) for showing more concern about oil they derive from Niger Delta than the welfare of the people of the region. Governor made this position known Wednesday when the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Nigeria, Ambassador Bert Ronhaar, paid him a visit in Yenagoa. He also expressed dismay that the oil companies have refused to embrace international standards and best practices in their operations in the Niger Delta, a development he said had negatively impacted the environment and led to endemic poverty. He decried what he described as “the brazen manner resources of the Niger Delta are expropriated,” adding that activities of the companies had placed the region in a precarious situation. “The ecosystem and livelihood of people in the Niger Delta have been negatively impacted upon as a result of oil exploration and exploitation activities over the years,” he said. Mr. Dickson went down memory lane recalling that the Royal Dutch Shell Petroleum Company struck oil in commercial quantities at Oloibiri, Bayelsa in 1956, but lamented that the area had suffered neglect. He said: “We have major issues of how to combat flooding, erosion of our communities and damaged ecosystem. There are also frightening scientific predictions that if urgent steps are not taken, most of the communities in the Niger Delta will be wiped away in the next couple of years. “There is now a disconnect arising from the decades of what is perceived to be nonchalant attitude by the international oil companies. The communities now see the operating companies as buccaneers who do not care about them and their conditions. “Their (IOCs) concern is only the oil and not the people’s well-being. The activities here are such that you have double standards in terms of adherence to environmental rules, regulations and procedures.” He vowed that his administration would join hands with other stakeholders to champion the need for environmental rights and justice in the country. “The environment has to be respected in the Niger Delta the same way it is protected and preserved in Europe and America. “An oil spill is an oil spill wherever it occurs, whether it is in the Niger Delta or in the Gulf of Mexico,” he said. He, however, commended Mr. Ronhaar for deepening diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the kingdom of the Netherlands.

Four Family Members Burn To Death In Osun

Tears flowed freely in Kajola-Ijesha, Atakumosa West Local Government Area of Osun State, following the death of four members of a family who were burnt to death in a mid night inferno that gutted their house, Monday night. The family of six lost the father, mother and two children in the fire. The two other children were away on vigil when the incident happened. Sources said they urged other members of the family to join them but they declined. Property,  including furniture, electronics, cooking utensils and other household materials were burnt in the inferno. An officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, said the fire was as a result of power surge. He said the entire house was affected. “We have been to the scene and found out that the incident happened as a result of the return of power to the house by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN. “There was no light when the family slept but the high voltage power came at midnight and caused the incident,” the NSCDC officer who craved anonymity said. Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Laoye-Tomori, who visited the scene of the incident expressed shock and concern at the death of the four family members, promising that the state government would take care of the remaining two children. Tomori gave an undisclosed amount to the eldest child of the deceased parents during her visit.

Underage Marriage Is Our Rights As Muslim – Asari Dokubo

The Niger Delta self declared militant, Mujahid Abubakr Asari Dokubo has given his opinion concerning the Underage Marriage Bill recently approved.

He took to Facebook page to expressing his opinion on the issues.

“People should learn to respect other people’s sensibilities. We Muslims have the right to marry when we want or give out our daughters at any age we want. It is not your business and the law must respect our right to do so. Anything short of that is an infringement on our rights.We did not ask you to marry ladies of that age or give your daughters out in marriage at that age. Plzzzzzzzz respect our sensibilities.”

AU Observer Mission: Obasanjo Denies Reports Of Removal

Reports that he had been dropped from the African Union, AU, Observer Mission to Zimbabwe’s forthcoming general elections has been dispelled by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo said yesterday said he was headed for Zimbabwe on his assignment as head of the AU Observer Mission to monitor the July 31 elections, although reports said he is presently in China. Chairperson of AU Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, recently named Obasanjo as head of a 60-man observer mission for the Zimbabwean election. The international observer mission also includes former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu. Reports, earlier yesterday, said Obasanjo had been dropped both as leader and team member of the observer mission. Asked if he was still going to Zimbabwe yesterday, on telephone, Obasanjo quipped: “Who said I am not going?”

Expel Amaechi If He Refuses To Resign Honourably, S’South Elders Tell PDP

Frontline Ijaw leader and Elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, some South-South elders and stakeholders have called on the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to expel Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State if he refuses to resign honourably from the party. Calling on the governor to resign from the PDP, they said this would enable him focus on his confrontation with the leadership of his party, adding that if he failed to resign his membership of the party, the national leadership should expel him from the party to restore sanity to the PDP as well as serve as deterrent to what they called “renegade members.” The former Federal Commissioner for Information and the South-South elders made the call after assessing the state of the nation with particular reference to the lingering crisis in Rivers States. The elders also took some of the northern governors, who visited Governor Ameachi as well as Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka to the cleaners saying: “We find it difficult to understand why Nigerians, including those acclaimed to be academics of international repute and serving governors have decided to fan the embers of disrespect, arrogance, and absolute insolence of Governor Chibuike Amaechi. “We cannot comprehend the basis of the meddlesomeness of particularly some Northern Governors and busy body professors who have decided to carry the banner of the Rivers State internal crisis on their heads. When Gov. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, uncouth, ill-mannered, reminiscent of chequered upbringing, derogatorily undermines President Goodluck Jonathan, and unruly labels him as an ‘authoritarian dictator’ it is seen by these disgruntled apologists to be within the frame of normal political discourse. “But when the First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan makes an innocuous comment on the Rivers State crisis, these professors use the most virulent despicable grammar in the lexicon of Nobel laureates to qualify her. It is fictile, untraditional and unethical for a man to publicly insult another man’s wife as Africans. It is therefore confounding to see a supposed role model and responsible ‘husband’ in the mould of our obtrusive professor to throw decency in the winds to publicly denigrate and disparage the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan. We doubt if there is a woman of honour in his house”, they said. While acknowledging, as democrats that power belonged to the people, who are custodians of sovereignty, they said that “The emergence or otherwise of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 should he decide to contest, shall be the determinate responsibility of Nigerians. “We, therefore, wish to caution that Nigerians, particularly those in authority should guard their utterances and actions to avoid over-heating the polity. The South South will hold any such persons wholly responsible should their overheating vituperations serve as a conductor to derail our hard won democracy particularly at this time when a son of the South South is privileged by the blessings of God and Nigerians to provide leadership.” On moves by the group to reconcile both Amaechi and Jonathan, Clark said that he had personally made spirited efforts to seek audience with Amaechi but failed as the governor always absent himself from such meetings. According to him, “When the trouble started, we know it will escalate, I had discussion with elders of Rivers State and we agreed to have a meeting with Amaechi but he did not show up. “We have called several meeting which he did not attend, he is not picking my calls again, we have done everything to settle this matter, Amaechi is being used by people who want to destabilize this nation.”

Five Killed In Ogun Cholera Outbreak

An outbreak of Cholera in Abeokuta South and North local government areas of Ogun State has claimed five lives, reports have said. The state government confirmed the outbreak, but claimed that only one person died as a result of poor hygiene on the part of the residents. The outbreak, it was gathered was linked to a septic tank which spilled its content into major water sources in the area, thereby contaminating them. Residents of Abeokuta are now reportedly apprehensive about drinking water from water pipes in their areas. The State Commissioner for Health Dr. Olaokun Soyinka who confirmed the incident also named Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South council areas as being sources of the outbreak ”with poor sanitation, particularly faecal waste management.” Soyinka said, “there was a sudden upsurge in cases of gastroenteritis in some communities in Abeokuta, first noted on Friday, July 5. In a press release yesterday, the state government admitted that only one person had died as against reports of five deaths from some quarters. While tracing the source of the disease to poor level of hygiene, the state Ministry of Health added that it had moved to stem the outbreak in two communities in the state.

Nigerian Army Uncovers Live Bomb On Disputed Land In Ebonyi

A live bomb has been uncovered by the Nigerian Army at the construction site of the proposed 344 Artillery Regiment at Ezillo in the Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State This is contained in a statement from Capt. A.M. Sa’ad of the Nkwegu Military Cantonment, Abakaliki. According to Sa’ad, the regiment was being constructed on the disputed land between Ezza and Ezillo communities that had claimed more than 50 lives. “The bomb was discovered during supervision of the project located on the ever-busy Abakaliki-Enugu expressway,” he said However, he said the bomb would be detonated on location. The statement urged members of the public to go about their businesses and not to be frightened as the detonation was in their over all safety.